Ice buildup in kegerator

[mcmeador]

Good afternoon! I have a Kegco 3-tap kegerator that has been hooked up and running for about 7 months I think. I was just moving some stuff around inside to weigh the CO2 tank and noticed ice buildup in the back of the kegerator. It’s along the area where I believe condensation is supposed to run off and drain. No cooling issues currently.

Is this normal or do I need to shut it off and let it thaw?

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I would let it thaw and check the drain hole for blockage.

 

[day_trippr]

Has it been exceptionally humid down there lately? And does that kegerator get opened frequently?
I would check to see if there's any type of "auto-defrost" function on that unit because it would be unusual for a kegerator.
Then I'd make sure the door gasket is tight all the way 'round. That moisture had come from somewhere...

Cheers!

 

[mcmeador]

I would let it thaw and check the drain hole for blockage.

Yeah, I was afraid of that. Currently lagering a beer in there, but it’s a few days from being done and I suppose it won’t hurt to let it warm up for a few hours while the kegerator thaws.

Has it been exceptionally humid down there lately? And does that kegerator get opened frequently?
I would check to see if there's any type of "auto-defrost" function on that unit because it would be unusual for a kegerator.
Then I'd make sure the door gasket is tight all the way 'round. That moisture had come from somewhere...

Cheers!

Yeah, it’s getting pretty humid where I live, but the kegerator doesn’t get open very often. The door gasket seems fine. I did pull out the plug in the back that’s intended to run CO2 in from the outside in order to run a small power cord for the tower fan, but I stuck the plug back in as much as I could to seal the hole back up.

I don’t see anything in the manual about auto-defrost. Guess I’ll be pulling the kegs out and unplugging it to thaw tomorrow morning and checking for clogs in the drain.

 

[Jim R]

That is exactly what happens when my cold freezer mugs get exposed to humid air - ie. the frosty mug. That is normal with a refrigerator without a defrost mechanism. Just let it warm up and thaw when it builds up too much. That is not a sign of a malfunction.

 

[Beholder]

I live in the south, so put a rechargeable desiccant in there to absorb the humidity and prevent it from freezing on the sides.

 

[RM-MN]

Yeah, I was afraid of that. Currently lagering a beer in there, but it’s a few days from being done and I suppose it won’t hurt to let it warm up for a few hours while the kegerator thaws.

Your lagering beer won't be disturbed by letting it warm for a few hours. You could speed the process of thawing by putting a container of hot water in the freezer to help speed up the process and reduce the amount of time your beer has to warm. I'd probably remove the kegs if it isn't too difficult and wrap them in something to insulate them to keep them cool or just wrap them where they are to keep them cool as the freezer warms and melts the ice out.

 

[-Dan-]

When i liveded in FL, for many years I had a kegorator with the same backplate. For about 5-6m out of the year it was a PITA, in particular because the fridge drew humidity through the taptower despite seals, insulation and all. I had a fan installed and damprid bucket, etc etc ... you name it. Ultimately only solution was to defrost about every 2-3 weeks. Unplug frige, open door and let ice melt which happens immediately. Let it dry a bit and use a towel, and turn back on. Almost always the beer was still fridge temp by the time i would turn back on.
Oh and when you put a new keg in that needs to be chilled down, it'll happen again too.

 

[odie]

Looks normal. Unless there is a defrost heater, it's gonna build up ice. Period. "frost free" refrigerators use a heat element in the cooling tube area. There is a timer or thermostat that cycles heat on-off to melt the ice and it drains out a small hole and evaporates in a tray under the cabinet.

 

[mcmeador]

The thawing has begun.

 

[mcmeador]

Well that was painless. Took less than an hour to melt down to the point that I could pull the remaining piece of ice out by hand. The drain doesn’t seem to be clogged because the water apparently drained out as the ice melted. There is water in the drip pan on the back of the kegerator.

Now everything is back in and chilling back down! Thanks for the input, everyone!

 

[NickTheGreat]

Hope it works out for you! My main fridge starting doing this and it was expensive control panel of some sort.

 

[Beermeister32]

I’m currently running 6 small refrigerators, all 4.4 cu ft Sanyos. Two are fermentation chambers, two are for drinking & lagering kegs, two are bottled beer storage. All use individually adjustable digital controls.

The climate here in Southern California is dry, however one of these refrigerators would constantly ice up every 3 weeks.

I have a few more 4.4 cubic foot Sanyos in storage, I buy them periodically as they come up on Craigs list. Sanyos are no longer produced, there are others similar.

At about $50-100 apiece, it is cheaper for me to toss a bad unit than chase down problems. The one I had problems with was tossed into the dumpster!